CAT/C/63/D/717/2015
earlier statement that the summonses did not concern A.Sh.’s own person and were
therefore irrelevant to the complainants’ asylum application. With reference to the abovementioned decisions by the Federal Administrative Court, the complainants submit that the
competent authorities of the State party had ample opportunity to examine A.Sh.’s assertion
— together with the supporting evidence — that criminal proceedings had been instituted
against him by authorities in Chechnya.
5.2
Contrary to what is suggested by the State party, the complainants could not lodge a
new asylum application on the basis of the summonses, since such an application could
only be initiated if a complainant was able to assert new asylum grounds. 21 As the
summonses had already been examined by the Federal Administrative Court, the
complainants’ assertion about the opening of the criminal proceedings against A.Sh. did not
constitute a new fact. The complainants argue, therefore, that they had exhausted all
domestic remedies with regard to the institution of criminal proceedings against A.Sh.
5.3
The complainants acknowledge that they did not mention either in the course of their
asylum procedure or the review procedure that on 23 January 2013 the Supreme Court of
Chechnya sentenced the cousin of A.Sh. to three years’ imprisonment and that the brother
of A.Sh. was dismissed from his duties as a police officer on 10 January 2015. At the time
they submitted their application for a review, on 6 May 2013, they were unaware of those
facts. As to the State party’s argument that they could have lodged a second asylum
application on the basis of the new evidence, the complainants submit that a new asylum
application is an extraordinary remedy and that they had already explained their grounds for
claiming asylum in their first procedure and the subsequent review procedure. The new
facts referred to by the State party concern the complainants’ family members and simply
constitute further evidence corroborating the complainants’ fear of torture and persecution,
which the competent authorities of the State party had already examined on the substance
of the case. A new asylum application would not be an effective domestic remedy in their
case, as it would only allow the competent authorities of the State party to examine the new
facts in isolation from the rest of their case, with the earlier decisions of the State party’s
authorities automatically being accepted as accurate. The complainants submit, in this
context, that the Federal Office for Migration and Federal Administrative Court decisions in
their case were flawed. Therefore, they would have to apply for a qualified review pursuant
to article 111 (c) of the Asylum Act. 22 Neither such an application, nor the subsequent
appeal against the Federal Office for Migration decision, however, would have suspensive
effect.23 Hence, it does not constitute an effective remedy. The complainants add that, in
any case, they cannot file an application for a review or a new asylum application on the
basis of the conviction of A.Sh.’s cousin and the dismissal of his brother in Chechnya.
5.4
The complainants recall that the new facts concern events in Chechnya and are,
therefore, inappropriate to rebut the assumption about the availability of the internal flight
alternative. They argue that even if they had filed a second asylum application, the Federal
Office for Migration would have dismissed it pursuant to article 111 (c) (2) of the Asylum
Act.24 Finally, the complainants submit that if the authorities of the State party considered
that the new facts were relevant, they had the possibility of reviewing the complainants’
asylum application under article 111 (b) of the Asylum Act, after they had been informed of
the present complaint to the Committee, which they did not do.25 Therefore, there are no
effective domestic remedies available to the complainants with regard to the new facts
identified by the State party.
21
22
23
24
25
8
Reference is made to the decision of the former Asylum Appeal Commission: EMAR 2006/20,
consideration 2.3.
Reference is made to Federal Administrative Court judgment 2014/39 of 16 December 2014, para. 4.5.
Article 111 (b) (3) of the Asylum Act reads as follows: “The submission of an application for review
does not delay enforcement. The authority responsible for processing may suspend enforcement on
request if there is a specific danger to the applicant in his or her native country or country of origin.”
Article 111 (b) (2) of the Asylum Act reads as follows: “Multiple applications or repeated
applications that state the same grounds shall be dismissed without a formal decision being taken.”
Article 111 (b) (4) of the Asylum Act reads as follows: “Applications for review without a statement
of grounds, or repeated applications that state the same grounds, shall be dismissed without a formal
decision being taken.”